SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State hit a season-best .343, eclipsing .300 in each set, to sweep visiting New Mexico State Friday evening at Hammons Student Center for the program's first home Conference USA victory.
 
The Bears (7-11, 2-5 CUSA) committed a season-low eight attack errors and closed each set with a big run to secure the 25-18, 25-20, 26-24 victory.
 
Brooke Eslinger served two of her career-high four aces in a 5-0 run to begin the match, but the Aggies (11-9, 4-3) rallied for a 12-11 lead. MoState pulled away from a 16-all tie with a 9-2 finishing run, hitting .308 while holding NMSU to a .114 efficiency.
 
Four different Bears had kills in a 6-1 run to 11-6 in the second set, and the Aggies pulled even at 20-20 before Missouri State ripped off five in a row to take a 2-0 match lead thanks in large part to 16 kills against just one error.
 
The Bears did not gain their first lead of the third frame until 15-14 and made it 19-17 on a block by Chloe Judd and Hannah Gardner. The teams exchanged 3-0 runs to 22-20, then the Aggies reeled off four in a row to earn set point at 24-22. Peyton McKee scored her 11^th and 12^th kills for a 24-all deadlock, and the Aggies sent two attacks out of bounds to give MSU the sweep.
 
McKee hit .393 with her team-high 12 kills, Rilynn Finley added 10 on .389 hitting and Lizanyela Lopez hit .381 with nine winners.
 
Gardner ended with six kills, 18 assists and eight digs, Lopez had four blocks, and Kya Johnson tallied 11 digs. MSU trailed 46-45 in total kills and 49-44 in digs but held advantages in attack efficiency (.343-.207), aces (5-2) and blocks (6-5).
 
The teams meet again at 1 p.m. Saturday.